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J. A. A. FONTAINE'.

AERIAL RAILROAD.

Patented Peb. 5, 1867.

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T0 ALL'WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

Be itknownthat 1T', J'. A. A. FONTAINE, of the city, county, and Sftate of New York, have invented a newl and-improvediAerial Railroad; and do hereby declarc'that tl'io following is a full,`clear,and enact description thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to make and use the same, reference being hadto the accom payingdrawings, forming part of ,this speciigation, in which--v Fig-ure 1 represents a perspective view of my improved aeri al car'aml railway.

` Figure 2 is a vertical longitudinal section ofl a-portion of the car. l 2

Figure 3' is a vertical cross-sectionof the Velevated railway xtaken on 'a plane indicated by the line a: .'v, iig. 1. "Figure 4 is a detail view to 'be hereinafter referred to.. "g Similar letters of reference indicate like parts. X

This invention relates 'to a novel application'of steam power to 'a railroad car which is propelled on iin' elevated track, the weight ofsaidicar being diminished or rendered negative by the attachment of a balloon to the-said steam car. Sails may also be arranged on the car.

face and resistance to the atmospheric air in front. For ascending the balloon will be' snilizcient to propel the car, while steam and atmospheric power' have to be used for descending', for which purpose, also, a weight may be attached to the front or lower end of the ear. Hand or -spring; power may bo substituted forthe steam 'power on small cars. lThe-wheels of my car are provided with deep grooves around their peripheres. The wheels travel between double. rails, that is tn say, one rail is below and one above the wheels` If the weight of the balloon is positive, then the wheels travel on the lower rai-l; if negative, thewhels revolve on the upper rail, as in the latter c ase the balloon has the tendency to raise the car'. This railroad is to be applied-foi crossing rivers or swamps, for s .scendirrgrhillm and even for travelling over the level ground.

Iam aware 4that elevated railwayshave beenconstructed or invented already or steam cars; I om also aware that'balloons'are used for raising cars up hill; but never yet have balloons been-combined with steam or lever power," and with sails', for the purposes herein set forth and as hereinafter more fully described.

4The balloon ca rA is made of silk, or other suitable material, supported on-the inside by a suitable light framework, and covered on the outside by 'a' network of suliicient strength. The whole surface is covered with a varnish, or othorrcomposition, whereby the hydrogen gas is prevented from escaping through lthe enclosure of the' balloon. The shape of the car may be as shown in iig. 1, that is,cyli' ndrlcal, with conical ends, B B, or it may have anyother shape which may be found to be most practicable and whereby the car will offer the least resistance to the air. Within the body of the balloon car, or elevated abovel it, or otherwise connected with it, is a' structure, C, which contains the stean1`.(or other) engine, 'the cabins, store-rooms, &c. One or more of such structures 'may be arranged on each car, according to the siae'and design of the'ear A. For th purpose of keeping :and securing`the substantial structure well and secure in the flexible balloon, I propose to arrange al light' framework around the structure, and support it by ropes Dwhich are held ,in the metal rings E, as shown in lig. 2. The engine, which may be 'operatedby steam, water, condensed air, lever,o'r spring power, and which is shown in lig. 2,'revolves a horizontal shaft, F, on either ,end of which a wheel, G,is secured. .This wheel, as well as all the other wheels, H., which arefsimply attached to the sidejof the ear, is deeply grooved, as shown in lig.l3', so as to be prevented from running outof thetrack. All the wheels on each side of the car are connected .withlench other by a bar, IQ The barlI is provided with universal joints, which allow of the expansion Vand contraction of the bar I, as wellas of any bending of the same. A joint, as I propose to innlreigisjshown in g. 4, where two' ends, z and ofthe bar I are connected bya rod, i, said rod sliding in the end l1".ot` one bar, and the other end being provided with a ball which. can turn and is held in the end of the other bar 'L .The .trackconsists of two wire ropes or flexible rods, K, on either side of -theway. For certain purposes therails may be made of solid iron or wood.V The rails are supported by posts, L, in the manner shown in lig. 3. The posts are provided with two elbow arms, 1 and l'; to the respective upperor lower end of each. arail is secured.

`Thus the rails are continuedthroughthe supporting posts L. A sail, M, is 'secured .to a mast, N, asshown in g..1.v The posts Il, which support the rails, aro of course well secured to the ground.

j "n hat I claim as new, anddesiro to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The' combination of the balloon car Awith the structure C, driving-shaft F, sail M, when arranged and applied in connection with an elevated track K, substantially as and for the purpose herein show'n and described. 2. I claim the posts L, provided with arm Z auf 1', for the purposeof continuing the track K, substantially ALEX. F. Renners u t Thus this apparatus'will, for'traversing-level roads,l bc propelled either by steam .power or by the wind, the balloonl being so shaped astooierthe least possible sur 

